Wine and Dine
by Pick 'n' mix
Summary: AU IK Milk. Call her simple, but Kagome had only wanted milk with her Frosties. Somehow she'd ended up with a series of contracted dates with Inuyasha-who was both impossibly attractive and plain impossible-and very interested in why he could recall her.


**Wine and Dine**

**Prologue**

"'Scuse me, 'scuse, 'scuse… I said, _excuse_ me…" Kagome stifled a cuss word as she was pushed back for the umpteenth time by yet another excited teenage girl trying to propel herself forward. Pushing herself through the throng, she made it to the corner-shop on the opposite side of the crowd.  
_  
Ting._

The shopkeeper jerked her head up at the sound of the bell. "Oh, hi, Kagome."

"Hi, Mrs Lee." She picked out a small container of semi-skimmed milk, and then brought it to the counter where the elder woman was waiting.

"Is that all?"

"Yes, thanks. I just want some milk to go with my Frosties." Kagome pulled a face. "Ran out yesterday, I think, and didn't have time to buy some more."

"Of course, I understand." The bright smile on Mrs Lee's face dimmed somewhat as she took in the crumpled combination of t-shirt and shorts, with a thin coat thrown hastily over the ensemble. "Kagome, dear, did you just get up?"

"Yeah, I did… wait, I think I have the correct change…"

"You're still single, aren't you, Kagome dear?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Palming her the coins, Kagome curled a finger around the handle of the milk and prepared to leave, but a hand on her wrist stopped her. "Um, yes?"

"Just have a look at this, won't you? A young pretty girl like you… I'm sure you'll find it worth reading." A pink flyer was handed to her, and the smile was turned on again.

"Well, thanks, I guess. Bye, Mrs Lee!" The leaflet was crumpled a little as Kagome held it half-heartedly in her hand, and then she turned to leave.  
_  
Ting._

"Just wait a little longer, Frosties," she muttered, faced with the crowd. "…Jeez, what's all the fuss about anyways?" Standing on tiptoe, she tried to see the reason of the commotion, but failed. Walking alongside of the cluster of people, she noted the regular camera flashes as she drew closer. …A modelling competition, or something?

A second person gripped her wrist for the second time of the day. "Hi, are you here for - oh, you got the leaflet! That's good." The girl chewed gum as she spoke, and eyed Kagome up and down. "Well, you're not in line, but I'll make an exception for you. C'mon, keep up."

Bewildered, Kagome could only follow the pink t-shirted, gum chewing girl as she kept a steel grip on her wrist to the front of the queue, where the blinding flashes were getting more and more intense.

"Wait, I don't think-"

"Go! We don't have a lot of time, you know. Loads of girls." Kagome was pushed unceremoniously to a small, taped off area with a white board stood up behind it. Frantically, she cast her eyes about for the girl, but found them drawn to the camera three metres away from her instead.

"Love that rumpled look - what's your name?" The camera man moved his eyes on her, assessing her. She felt a lot of people were doing that today.

"Um, Kagome. Kagome Higurashi."

"Cool. How old are you, babe?"

"I'm twenty. Excuse me, but I don't-" Faintly, she noticed another girl in a pink t-shirt just outside the taped area scribbling down on a clipboard, and looking back up at her expectantly.

"Phone number, address?"

"_Excuse me,_ but I didn't ask to be here -"

"We have a lot of girls waiting - well, and some men too - can you please just tell us your address and phone number?"

Numbly, Kagome repeated the details, watching Clipboard Girl recording the information. …It wouldn't hurt, right? It wasn't like she'd be chosen… there were hundreds of girls.

"Smile, babe."  
_  
Flash._

"Thanks, babe. Now, next!"

* * *

_WINE AND DINE with the most eligible bachelor in this side of the planet! Win a chance to romance INUYASHA TAKAHASHI over several intimate meals for two in restaurants fit for royalty.__  
_

_Turn up at 8:30 am, at Pretley Street… and let destiny find out for you._

* * *

"No, this girl's not pretty enough. Dump it."

"Every girl is beautiful, Inuyasha… let me - Buddha! Well, I suppose it can't be helped if my hand slips near the trash receptor…"

Both men pored over the photos, occasionally accepting or dismissing some.

"This girl's hot. In?"

Inuyasha glanced at the photo, quickly noting the wide smile and big eyes of the blonde girl. "Yeah, she'll do."

Miroku tossed the photo and the details of the blonde girl to a small pile on the left. To the right, a much larger pile for rejections was heaped.

When the photos had been directed to either one of the heaps ("No, no, yes... yes... is this a guy?!"), Inuyasha eased up onto the table, while Miroku glanced wistfully at the left stack of photos. "So many beautiful girls…"

Inuyasha snorted. "Not my plan, letch. My old man organized the whole thing… said he wanted to see me married, or at least in a stable relationship. Y'see here?" A pink leaflet was brought up for Miroku's viewing.

"…And let destiny find out for you?" he read out. A small smile quirked the dark-haired man's lips as he glanced at the (much larger) reject pile.

He made to put the leaflet down before stopping. "Wait, Inuyasha. You missed one." He peeled a photo off the back of the leaflet, and then turned it over to look at the girl. "She's obviously gone for the relaxed look…" Violet eyes skimmed over the girl's face. "She doesn't look too happy… still sort of cute though."

"Let me see." A hand darted out and snatched the photo for his own inspection. "Hn, she's not that bad, I guess. She looks downright grumpy. And Jesus… those shorts…"

"So no?"

Amber eyes traced their way up to the face again. "She looks… where have I seen that face before…? Miroku, read out her details."

"Kagome Higurashi, twenty years old. She lives near where the competition was held, actually… and odd. No other details are listed. No occupation, or anything else."

"Kagome… Higurashi?" Inuyasha tried out the name. "Sounds funny. This girl… that face… those eyes. Fuck. I can't remember who she was. But she looks familiar."

Miroku raised an eyebrow. "Don't strain your brain, Inuyasha, I can smell something burning."

"Shut the fuck up, letch."

"Well, do you want her or not?"

He took one last glance at the photo, before tossing it in the left pile. "Hell, why not? I'd like to see why I remember that face… Kagome."


End file.
